The indie-rock anthem by the group, has achieved the Most cumulative weeks on the UK singles chart (one song), with a staggering 416 weeks in the Top 100 of the UK’s Official Singles Chart as of 4 July 2024.
The Las Vegas quartet have also been awarded a second Guinness World Records title for the track, for the Longest stay on the UK singles chart by a group – also 416 weeks. To put this longevity into perspective, the song has spent a total of almost eight years in the Top 100, across 60 separate chart runs.
“Mr Brightside” was first released in 2003 and re-released in 2004. The track, which was the first single from the band’s debut album Hot Fuss, reached its peak position of No.10 on 5 June 2004. Incredibly, it spent just one week – its opening week in 2004 – in the Top 20 and seven weeks in the Top 40.
In May 2024, the Official Charts Company revealed that it had become the UK’s biggest single never to have reached No.1, having amassed 5.57 million combined units (1.066 million sales and 530.34 million streams).
The song’s enduring popularity on streaming services has kept “Mr Brightside” in the lower reaches of the weekly countdown over the past 20 years.
Guinness World Records awarded The Killers with two certificates to celebrate their record-breaking track at London’s The O2 arena on Monday evening, where the band are playing a massive six shows as part of their Rebel Diamonds tour.
Speaking backstage at The O2 ahead of their gig, The Killers frontman, Brandon Flowers, said of “Mr Brightside”: “It’s infectious still to us, I know some people can’t wrap their head around it, but you’ll see the response [when you see it live].
“It’s tough not to be touched by it or be excited by it and there’s going to be people tonight who’ve never seen it live, there’ll be some people who’ve seen it 45 times.
“And we just don’t get tired of it.”
Guinness World Records Adjudicator Will Munford, said: “Mr Brightside has filled countless dancefloors and been responsible for many end-of-night singalongs since the mid-2000s. It was an honour to present The Killers with two Guinness World Records titles for the song, it is a testament to its ability to be loved across generations and stand the test of time as one of the all-time classics.”
For some historical context, Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” spent a total of 122 weeks in the Top 50 (as it was then) between 1969 and 1972, and a further two weeks in the Top 75 as a re-issue in 1994, meaning it once held the title for the most cumulative weeks on the UK singles chart (one song).
By 4 July 2024, “Someone You Loved” (2019) by Lewis Capaldi had cemented its place at No.2 behind “Mr Brightside” with 236 weeks on the UK chart (and counting), and “Perfect” (2017) by Ed Sheeran was in third place on 191 weeks.
Prior to The Killers, the longest stay on the UK singles chart by a group was previously held by Snow Patrol, with their hit “Chasing Cars”, which had logged 75 chart weeks as of February 2008 and had gone on to amass a total of 166 weeks in the Top 100 of the UK singles chart by 4 July 2024.
